Gymnastics apparatus having multi-layered textured cover

ABSTRACT

A covered gymnastics apparatus comprises a support component, such as, for example, a portion of a pommel horse, a balance beam, vault table, a vault board, landing mat, or other gymnastics component, having a shape arranged to support a user and comprising a first material, includes an overlayer sized and shaped to be applied over the support component and having a textured surface arranged for contact by the user during a gymnastics routine. The overlayer is formed of a second material comprising a multi-layered material, the multi-layered material comprising polyurethane and having a textured contact surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a gymnastics apparatus and, more particularly, to a gymnastics apparatus having a multi-layered textured cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the design and construction of gymnastics equipment, such as, for example, vault tables, vault boards, pommel horses, balance beams, landing mats, and other devices, there are a number of design considerations that should be taken into account, including the characteristics of the surface contacted by the user during a gymnastics routine. Of course, a slippery surface is typically undesirable for a host of reasons, as is a surface lacking the durability to withstand repeated use. Further, an overly hard surface may not be suitable for some devices.

Many devices, including vault tables, vault boards, and pommel horses, typically are covered with leather or a synthetic leather material. Other devices, such as a balance beam, typically include an extruded aluminum beam covered with an expanded vinyl material, which is similar in many cases to suede. In any event, a gymnastics participant or other user typically desires freedom of motion while still expecting a certain level of grip and traction when using any particular device. In order to balance the desired freedom of motion with the desired level of grip and traction, it is well known that gymnastics participants typically use chalk. However, chalk creates a mess, and it is difficult to remove the chalk from the porous material. Moreover, chalk build-up can create a slick surface on the gymnastics device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a covered gymnastics apparatus includes a support component having a shape arranged to support a user and comprising a first material, an overlayer sized and shaped to be applied over the support component and having a textured surface arranged for contact by the user during a gymnastics routine, with the overlayer formed of a second material comprising a multi-layered material, the multi-layered material comprising polyurethane.

In further accordance with a preferred example, the overlayer includes a non-woven fiber layer, and the polyurethane is impregnated into the non-woven fiber layer, or extruded onto the base layer. The textured contact surface may comprise a pebble-grained surface, and further may be formed of Zi/O®. The support component may comprise part of any one of a vault table, a vault board, a pommel horse, a balance beam, a landing mat, or any other suitable gymnastics device, and the overlayer may comprise at least one panel sized to cover at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component. Preferably, the overlayer comprises a polyurethane impregnated non-woven fiber and the textured surface comprises a pebble-grained surface, and may have a thickness of about 1.5 mm. The overlayer may comprise a plurality of joined panels, with the panels sized and shaped to conform to at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a gymnastics component for use on a gymnastics apparatus includes a support component having a portion arranged to support a user during a gymnastics routine, with the portion comprising at least a first material. An overlayer is provided formed from a layered polyurethane material and includes a textured contact surface positioned for contact by the user during the gymnastics routine. The overlayer is sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the support component and is securable to the support component.

In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, a method of preparing a gymnastics apparatus for use comprises the steps of selecting a support component for supporting a user during a gymnastics routine, selecting an overlayer material having a textured contact surface and including a polyurethane layer, sizing and shaping the overlayer material to conform to a shape of at least a portion of the support component such that the textured contact surface is positioned for contact by a user during a gymnastics routine, and securing the overlayer material to the support component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of a gymnastics apparatus having an overlayer and assembled in accordance with the teachings of a disclosed example of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an exemplary overlayer material;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of the overlayer material illustrating an exemplary surface having a pebble-grained texture;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective illustrating a pair of panels of the overlayer material joined to one another along a seam and applied to a landing mat;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating the overlayer material applied to a balance beam;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a vault table constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary vault board constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of an exemplary pommel horse constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an exemplary pommel horse constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the precise form or forms disclosed. Instead, the following embodiments have been described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to follow the teachings of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a gymnastics apparatus 10. The gymnastics apparatus 10 includes a support component 12 and an overlayer 14 disposed on or attached to the support component 12. The support component 12 may form part of, by way of example rather than limitation, a landing mat 23 (FIG. 4), a balance team 16 (FIG. 5), a vault table 18 (FIG. 6), a vault board 20 (FIG. 7), or a pommel horse 22 (FIGS. 8 and 9).

The overlayer 14 includes an upper contact surface 24, which, in accordance with the disclosed example, preferably includes a textured surface 26. It will be understood that, on each of the foregoing devices, the support component 12 is arranged to support, at least temporarily, the weight of a user during a gymnastics routine. Accordingly, the support component 12 is typically constructed of wood, fiberglass, plastic, metal, or any other suitable material commonly employed in the construction of a gymnastics apparatus.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the overlayer 14 is shown in greater detail. The overlayer 14 includes a base layer 28 and a topcoat 30. The base layer 28 is preferably formed from a nonwoven fiber material having a plurality of fibers 32 impregnated with polyurethane 34. The topcoat 30 is joined to the base layer 28. The textured surface 26 preferably is embossed into an upper surface of the top coat 30, forming a pebble-grained surface. A number of embossing patterns may be used in place of the pebble-grained surface pattern. Still other surface treatments and/or textures may prove suitable.

The preferred overlayer material is commercially available from Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. of Chicopee, Mass., under the trade name Zi/O®, and/or from Kuraray America, Inc. of New York, N.Y. Additional details concerning the construction and properties of the overlayer material can be obtained from U.S. Pat. No. RE 37,468, entitled Game Ball With Synthetic Leather Cover, issued to Kennedy et al. Preferably, the overlayer material 14 will have a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm. However, it is contemplated that the overlayer material may be thinner or thicker than the preferred thickness.

Other materials may be chosen for the overlayer material 14 in place of the preferred Zi/O®. For example, the base layer 28 may be constructed of woven fibers, non-woven fibers, or other base layers of the type used in sports ball covers, and the top coat 30 may be formed of polyurethane, polyvinylchloride (PVC), or other materials of the type used in sports ball covers. Still further materials employed in the covering of sports balls may also prove suitable. Further, the top coat 30 may be layered onto the base cloth 28 using an extrusion process.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it will be understood that, in certain applications, the specific shape of the selected gymnastic apparatus 10 may necessitate that the overlayer material be assembled from a plurality of panels. Specifically, and as shown in FIG. 4, the overlayer material 14 may include a first panel 14 a and a second panel 14 b. The first panel 14 a includes an elongate edge 36, while the second panel 14 b includes an elongate edge 38. The edges 36 and 38 are joined to one another along a seam 40. The seam 40 may be formed by stitching, sewing, lacing, bonding, or by any other suitable joining mechanism or technique, such as by using conventional joining techniques commonly employed in the assembly of leather covers for gymnastics devices.

Furthermore, it will be understood that the size and shape of the panels 14 a and 14 b, as well as the size and shape of any additional panels (not shown), will be dictated by the size and shape of the gymnastics apparatus to which the overlayer material 14 will be applied. In the example of FIG. 4, the gymnastics device may be a landing mat 23, and thus the size, shape, and number of panels may be dictated by the size and shape of the landing mat 23. The contours of the panels also may vary as the contours of the underlying gymnastics device vary. For example, the number of panels, as well as the size, shape, and contours of the panels will vary depending on whether the overlayer material will be applied to the landing mat 23 of FIG. 4, the balance beam 16 illustrated in FIG. 5, the vault table 18 illustrated in FIG. 6, the vault board 20 illustrated in FIG. 7, or the pommel horse 22 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. Choosing the number, size, shape, and contours for the panels may be accomplished using conventional methods for covering gymnastics equipment.

As shown in FIG. 5, an end 42 of the balance beam 16 includes a number of edges 42 a, 42 b, and 42 c. Typically, the balance beam 16 is substantially hollow, and an underside of the balance beam 16 includes a longitudinally extending channel 44. The material 14 applied to the balance beam 16 preferably is sized and shaped such that the overlayer material 14 wraps around the edges 42 a, 42 b, and 42 c, and also wraps around the edges defined by the longitudinally extending channel 44. The overlayer material 14 may then be secured to the inner surface of the balance beam 16, using, for example, a plurality of fasteners 46. The fasteners 46 may be, for example, staples, nails, brads, screws, glues or adhesives, or any other suitable mechanism or method of securing the overlayer 14 in place. Although only one end of the balance beam 16 is shown in detail in FIG. 5, it will be appreciated that the other end of the balance beam 16 is the same or substantially similar as would be known to those of skill in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the vault table 18 is shown. The vault table 18 includes a generally curved top portion 18 a. In the example shown, a forward portion 18 b is separated from the top portion 18 a by a line 48. This forward portion 18 b may have, by way of example rather than limitation, a different color compared to the portion 18 a. The color may be painted onto the surface of the vault table 18 or may be applied or formed in any other suitable manner. A surrounding edge 18 c extends around the perimeter of the vault table 18, and a seam 50 is shown between the top portion 18 a and the edge 18 c. The seam 50 may be formed by stitching, bonding, or any other suitable technique commonly employed in the art. It can be seen that the overlayer material 14 is sized, shaped, and contoured to conform to the shape and curvature of the vault table 18. Edges of the overlayer material 14 may be secured to the underside of the vault table 18 in a manner similar to that discussed above with respect to the balance beam 16, with the appropriate edges of the overlayer material attached to the underlying support structure in a similar fashion as that discussed above.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the vault board 20 is shown in greater detail. The overlayer material 14 again is sized and shaped so as to wrap around appropriate edges 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, and 20 d of the vault board 20. Again, the edges of the overlayer material 14 may be secured to the underside of the vault board 20 in a manner similar to that discussed above with respect to the balance beam 16 and the vault table 18.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the pommel horse 22 is shown in greater detail. The overlayer material 14 once again is sized and shaped so as to wrap around appropriate edges 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c, so as to conform to the general shape and curvature of the pommel horse 22. As discussed above, the edges of the overlayer material 14 may be secured to appropriate underside surfaces of the pommel horse 22, once again employing the type of attachment or securement techniques discussed above, or any other suitable attachment techniques.

Referring to FIG. 9, the overlayer material 14 also may be applied to a handle 25 of the pommel horse 22. The overlayer material 14 may be sized and shaped to conform to the size and shape of the handle 25, such as by forming the overlayer material 14 into a sleeve 27, and sliding the sleeve 27 onto the handle 25. Preferably, the sleeve 27 will be glued in place. Alternatively, the sleeve 27 may be sewn, stitched, laced, stapled, or otherwise secured to the handle 25. Still further, the overlayer material may be formed from separate panels or pieces, and then sewn, stitched, laced, stapled, or otherwise secured to the handle 25.

It will be appreciated that, for each of the foregoing examples of gymnastics devices, the overlayer material 14 may be attached to the underlying support component 12 so as to cover the entire support component 12. As an alternative, the overlayer material 14 may be sized and shaped to simply cover the contact surface 24 of the underlying support component, with remaining portions of the support component/gymnastics devices covered by more conventional materials.

In accordance with the disclosed example, the contact surface 24 of the overlayer material, and in particular the pebble-grained texture of the textured surface 26, may provide enhanced grip and/or traction while still allowing freedom of motion for a gymnastics performer or other user using the underlying gymnastics devices. Also, users may decide that the use of chalk may not be necessary, and the elimination of chalk consequently eliminates the type of mess normally associated with the use of chalk. Moreover, the preferred Zi/O material may be obtained with a tacky finish which may further enhance the traction and grip characteristics of the underlying gymnastics device.

Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing descriptions. Accordingly, these descriptions are to be construed as illustrative only and are for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode or modes presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. The details of the structure or structures disclosed herein may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents, is reserved. 

1. A covered gymnastics apparatus comprising: a support component having a shape arranged to support a user and comprising a first material; an overlayer sized and shaped to be applied over the support component and having a textured surface arranged for contact by the user during a gymnastics routine; and the overlayer formed of a second material comprising a multi-layered material, the multi-layered material comprising polyurethane.
 2. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 1, wherein the overlayer includes a non-woven fiber layer, and wherein the polyurethane is impregnated into the non-woven fiber layer.
 3. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane is extruded onto a base cloth.
 4. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 2, wherein the textured contact surface comprises a pebble-grained surface.
 5. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 1, wherein the overlayer is formed of Zi/O®.
 6. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support component comprises part of any one of a vault table, a landing mat, a vault board, a pommel horse, or a balance beam, and wherein the overlayer comprises at least one panel sized to cover at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component.
 7. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 6, wherein the overlayer comprises a polyurethane impregnated non-woven fiber and the textured surface comprises a pebble-grained surface.
 8. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 7, wherein the overlayer includes a thickness of about 1.5 mm.
 9. The gymnastics apparatus of claim 1, wherein the overlayer comprises a plurality of joined panels, the panels sized and shaped to conform to at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component.
 10. A gymnastics component for use on a gymnastics apparatus comprising: a support component, the support component having a portion arranged to support a user during a gymnastics routine, the portion comprising at least a first material; an overlayer, the overlayer comprising polyurethane and having a textured contact surface, the textured contact surface positioned for contact by the user during the gymnastics routine; and the overlayer sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component.
 11. The gymnastics component of claim 10, wherein the overlayer includes a non-woven fiber base layer impregnated with polyurethane.
 12. The gymnastics component of claim 10, wherein the polyurethane is extruded onto a base layer.
 13. The gymnastics component of claim 11, wherein the textured contact surface comprises a pebble-grained surface.
 14. The gymnastics component of claim 10, wherein the overlayer is formed of Zi/O®.
 15. The gymnastics component of claim 11, wherein the support component comprises part of any one of a vault table, a vault board, a pommel horse, a landing mat. or a balance beam, and wherein the overlayer is fastened to the support component by at least one of stitching, lacing, or stapling.
 16. The gymnastics component of claim 11, wherein the textured surface comprises a pebble-grained surface.
 17. The gymnastics component of claim 16, wherein the overlayer includes a thickness of about 1.5 mm.
 18. A method of preparing a gymnastics apparatus for use comprising the steps of: selecting a support component for supporting a user during a gymnastics routine; selecting an overlayer material having a textured contact surface and including polyurethane and a base layer; sizing and shaping the overlayer material to conform to a shape of at least a portion of the support component such that the textured contact surface is positioned for contact by a user during a gymnastics routine; and fastening the overlayer material to the support component.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sizing and shaping step includes the steps of providing a number of panels of the overlayer material, cutting each panel to conform to the shape of a portion of the support component, and joining the panels together.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of fastening the overlayer material to the support component includes fastening the joined panels to the support component by at least one of stapling, nailing, stitching, or lacing.
 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the overlayer material comprises Zi/O® and the textured contact surface comprises a pebble-grained surface.
 22. The method of claim 18, including forming the textured surface by embossing a pebble-grained surface onto a surface of the polyurethane.
 23. The method of claim 18, including selecting a thickness of the overlayer material of about 1.5 mm.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein the base layer comprises a non-woven fiber, and including the steps of impregnating the polyurethane into the base layer and embossing a surface of the polyurethane with a pebble-grained pattern to form the textured contact surface.
 25. The method of claim 18, wherein the polyurethane is extruded onto the base layer. 